Over the weekend leading up to the Super Bowl LVIII, Las Vegas saw a record-high number of arriving private planes with 882 landing for the big game. This marked the second-highest total number of private jet arrivals for a Super Bowl, with last year’s game in Glendale, Arizona still holding the record at 931. Not only did the Super Bowl draw an impressive number of private flights, but other high-profile events such as a Formula 1 race in November brought nearly 1,000 jets to Las Vegas, and more than 1,000 flew to the world leadership summit in Davos in 2022.
Las Vegas airports were at risk of being overwhelmed by the large number of private jets flying in for the Super Bowl. These airports only have enough combined parking space for approximately 500 planes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. While it’s no surprise that big events attract private planes, it’s important to note that flying in a private jet is the most carbon-polluting way to travel, with private jets producing five to 14 times more emissions per passenger than commercial planes and 50 times more than trains. Taylor Swift was among those who flew into Las Vegas on a private jet for the Super Bowl, with the first leg of her journey from Tokyo to Los Angeles in a private jet producing more than 50 tons of carbon emissions.
Despite facing environmental concerns, there are also gender dynamics at play, as law professor Victoria Haneman raised the issue of public scrutiny over private jet travel only being directed at women. Haneman noted that CEOs are also frequent users of private jets, only less visible than high-profile celebrities, pointing out the collusion between legitimate environmental concerns and misogyny in public discourse surrounding private jet travel.